Category: Legal Issues

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – A member of the Oath Keepers was sentenced today for her role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. 

            Laura Steele, 55, of Thomasville, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, six months of home confinement, and 36 months of supervised release.

            In March of 2023, a federal jury convicted Steele, a former police officer, and four other co-defendants of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, a felony. Steele was also convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiring to prevent an officer of the United States from discharging a duty, interfering with officers in a civil disorder, destruction of government property, and destroying evidence after the fact—all felonies.

            Court documents say that on January 6th, Oath Keepers leader Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, who was convicted in an earlier trial of seditious conspiracy and related charges, sent a message in an encrypted group chat announcing that former Vice President Michael R. Pence would not intercede to stop Congress’ certification of the electoral college vote, and so “patriots” were taking matters into their own hands. Moments later, a group of Oath Keepers, including Steele, began their march toward the Capitol.

            According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, on the afternoon of January 6, when it became clear that Congress was going forward with the certification of the 2020 presidential election, Steele and four of her co-defendants donned paramilitary gear and clothing and marched with other Oath Keepers members and affiliates to the United States Capitol. When the group arrived on the Capitol grounds, a leader of the group—Kelly Meggs—announced that they were going inside the Capitol to stop the vote count. In response, Steele joined hands on shoulders with eleven other members of their group and moved, in a coordinated and calculated fashion, up the steps of the Capitol in a military “stack” formation.

            At the top of the steps, the group joined the mob of other rioters who had overcome officers guarding the door. Once inside, the group split up. Half the group, including defendant Laura Steele, joined rioters attempting to push their way through a line of Metropolitan Police Department Officer (MPD) officers guarding a hallway that led to the Senate Chamber. The officers were forced to deploy chemical spray to hold back the mob. Steele and others then retreated, regrouped, exited the Capitol, and met up with the other members of the Oath Keepers.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Charlotte Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

Defendant Shot Victim Following a Series of Arguments Started by an Instagram Post

            WASHINGTON – Lewkus Turner, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 8.5 years in prison for shooting and killing his cousin in Southeast Washington, D.C., on December 11, 2020. The government sought a 16-year sentence.

            On June 9, 2023, a jury sitting in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia found Turner guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

            According to the government’s evidence, just before 4:00 p.m. on December 11, 2020, the victim, Vincent Gyamfi, drove to the 1600 block of 29^th Street SE to speak to Turner, his first-cousin, regarding an Instagram post Turner had made earlier in the week. Shortly after arriving in the area, an argument broke out and Turner left the scene. A short time later, Turner returned armed with a gun and the two men began to argue again before leaving in separate directions.

            Mr. Gyamfi subsequently parked his vehicle near the intersection of 29^th and S Streets SE. At 4:07 p.m. Turner drove by the same intersection and confronted his cousin for a final time. As a result, Mr. Gyamfi ran at Turner’s car, and Turner shot Mr. Gyamfi three times with a large caliber weapon. Turner then dragged Mr. Gyamfi’s body out from underneath Turner’s vehicle, re-entered the car, and fled the scene without calling for aid. Turner was arrested on December 29, 2020,  and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Dan Lenerz and Bryan Han of the Appellate Section; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez; Special Agents Mark Crawford and Durand Odom of the Criminal Investigations Unit; Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Tonya Jones and Maenylie Watson; Supervisory Budget Analyst Nikiya Burnette and Accounting Technician Evelyn Miles; Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Christopher Carson, and Gauri Gopal, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – Collin Potter, 30, of Quantico, Va., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for fatally stabbing Vongell Lugo, of Washington, D.C., in Lugo’s apartment in the Upper Northwest neighborhood of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            On February 3, 2023, Potter pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. 

            According to the government’s evidence, on Sunday, January 6, 2019, at approximately 4:00 a.m., after meeting at a bar, Potter and Lugo were alone together in Lugo’s apartment on Wisconsin Ave., N.W., in Washington, D.C. The defendant, unprovoked, attacked Lugo after grabbing one of Lugo’s kitchen knives. He stabbed and cut Lugo 42 times in the head, neck, and torso. Lugo yelled for help and his cries woke two of his neighbors, both of whom called 911 around 4:14 a.m. Potter then attempted to clean the knife in the kitchen sink. Around 4:20 a.m., the defendant, an active duty Navy sailor, pulled Lugo’s naked body out into the hallway. MPD officers discovered Lugo’s body and the defendant, who was standing naked, uninjured, and covered in Lugo’s blood. They arrested Potter and he has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke, Christian Natiello, and Peter V. Roman, and Deputy Chief Laura Bach, who investigated and prosecuted the case.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – Dawayne Joseph Spriggs, 37, of Washington D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, was arraigned today on charges stemming from a 2014 cold case involving a stranger sexual assault, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            According to court documents, on July 6, 2014, Spriggs encountered the victim near the Minnesota Ave. Metro station at approximately 1 a.m. He followed her and physically and sexually assaulted her in an alley. After the assault was over, the victim reported the offense to police and obtained a sexual assault examination, including a rape kit. The evidence was timely tested for DNA in 2014 and was entered into a national database. In 2016, the database reported a match between the DNA profile obtained from the rape kit and another sexual assault offense that had been reported in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2013. In 2023, detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit obtained a lead as to the assailant’s identity that led them to lawfully collect DNA samples from defendant Spriggs. These DNA samples were tested by both law enforcement entities and resulted in a match to both rape kits.

            On September 13, 2023, a District of Columbia Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Spriggs in the D.C. cold case with two counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse and two counts of Third Degree Sexual Abuse. If convicted, Spriggs faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of $125,000, followed by not less than five years’ supervised release, and would be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his lifetime. Trial is scheduled to begin on October 12, 2023, before the Honorable Michael O’Keefe.

            The defendant is also currently charged by criminal complaint in Anne Arundel County for unrelated offenses reported in Maryland in 2013.

            This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative.  The goal of the Initiative is to collaborate with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.

            This case is being investigated by the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Amy Zubrensky.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – A federal jury today convicted three defendants of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with the October 22, 2020, invasion of a reproductive health care clinic in Washington, D.C. The defendants – Jonathan Darnel, 41, of Arlington, Va.; Jean Marshall, 73, of Kingston, Mass.; Joan Bell, 74, of Montague, NJ – were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense.

            The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant Director David Sundberg, of the FBI Washington Field Office.

            The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

            As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Marshall and Bell traveled to the Washington, D.C. area to meet with Darnel and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed another co-conspirator and was broadcast on Facebook.

            According to the evidence, Marshall, and Bell were among a group that forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, Darnel – who remained outside the clinic — live-streamed their activities on social media. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services.

            Five co-conspirators in the action were convicted in August 2023 on the same counts. Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Va.; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, NY; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Mich.; William Goodman, 52, of the Bronx, NY; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., also were convicted of felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. One co-defendant, Jay Smith, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. 

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh and New York City Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – Isaac Moye, 46, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today by Judge Anthony Epstein to 35 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the second-degree murder of Unique Harris, a 24-year-old woman who went missing from her home in October 2010 and whose body has never been found. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

            Moye was convicted at trial on June 23, 2023. According to the evidence presented at trial, on October 9, 2010, Unique Harris hosted a sleepover for her young children and their nine-year-old cousin at her home in Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 9:30 p.m. that night, Harris put the children to bed. At 10:39 p.m., Isaac Moye, a man she had known for only two months, arrived at her home, calling her on her cell phone just moments before entering her building. The next morning, the three children awoke to find their mother gone. Her cell phone and keys were also missing. Her purse and all its contents, including her identification and credit cards were left behind. The eyeglasses she never left home without were also there in the home. Her sofa had been mutilated, a hole cut in the fabric, a section of foam removed. There was no blood, no sign of struggle. And she was never seen or heard from again. 

            Over the course of the next few years, Isaac Moye was interviewed multiple times by members of the Metropolitan Police Department. He changed his story between interviews – denying, then admitting, then denying that he and Unique Harris had ever been intimate, denying that he had ever been in her home overnight, and denying that he had seen her the day that she went missing. Eventually, Moye’s semen was identified on the mutilated sofa cushion and his GPS records placed him at the decedent’s home for the entire night. Moye also made statements to another person, who testified that Moye said there was a missing girl, but that police were “never going to find her” because he “did it, but did it the right way.” Ms. Harris was reported missing on Oct. 10, 2010. Moye was arrested and charged with the murder on Dec. 19, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Vinét Bryant and Erin DeRiso.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON — A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Riley D. Kasper, 24, of Pulaski, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees.

            Kasper was arrested in Ashland, Wisconsin, in March 2022 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2023.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, starting at approximately 1:50 p.m., Kasper sprayed an aerosol canister of what is believed to be pepper spray toward law enforcement officers attempting to secure the Capitol building and grounds. That day, Kasper also communicated on social media with another individual, declaring, among other things, “I pepper sprayed 3 cops so bad they got undressed and went home,” and “As you can see in that video, it was my group that busted the first gate and kept chasing the cops down and pushing them back at the capitol.”

            The next day, Kasper communicated with another individual on social media, stating, “You charge that line and start spraying they start running for cover like you’re coming at them with an ak” and “there is definitely something satisfying about pepper spraying cops in riot gear …”

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

            The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – A Texas man was found guilty in the District of Columbia on Sept. 13, 2023, of three charges, including one felony and two misdemeanor offenses related to his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Ryan Scott Zink, 34, of Lubbock, Texas, was found guilty after a jury trial in U.S. District Court. Zink was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, a felony offense, as well as two misdemeanor offense of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.

            According to evidence presented during the trial, On Jan. 6, 2201, Zink marched from the area near the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to the United States Capitol and by approximately 1:45 p.m., stood immediately outside the restricted grounds on the east side of the Capitol. At about 2:00 p.m., other rioters had violently breached the barricades marking the restricted area near Zink and shortly thereafter, he entered the restricted area and marched through the plaza with others. Zink then made his way up the stairs of the Capitol’s Central East Portico.

            While on restricted grounds immediately outside the Capitol building, Zink filmed a series of video clips while on the Capitol grounds. In one clip, the defendant recorded himself stating, “We knocked down the gates! We’re storming the Capitol! You can’t stop us!” In the same video, Zink panned the phone camera to show the crowd around him and later began chanting, “We want Trump!”, as he moved through the crowd at the footsteps of the Capitol.

            Zink is the heard shouted, staring into his recording device: “You all want to know how it’s going? We are going to bum rush this s***!” In a second video, the defendant filmed the crowd as it attempted to breach the Rotunda Doors to the Capitol. Zink stated, “They’re not going to get this one.” In a third video, the Zink shouted, “You wanted to see what it’s become? We’re in the doors!” Towards the end of the video, the defendant turned the camera to capture another individual smashing a window near the Rotunda Doors.

            Zink later wrote to an associate about his involvement in the January 6^th riots, stating “Broke down the doors pushed Congress out of session I took two flash bangs I’m ok I’ll be posting pictures in a little bit when we get back I’m hurt but we accomplished the job” and “I’m afraid the time for rioting is over better clean those guns and invest in some level 4 armor.”

            Zink was arrested on Feb. 4, 2021, in Texas.

            U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg will sentence Zink on Dec. 18, 2023.  

            All charges carry potential financial penalties. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.  Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

            WASHINGTON – A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on felony and misdemeanor charges related to her conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Sandra S. Weyer, 60, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to 14 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and fines.

            Weyer was convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, as well as four misdemeanor charges of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disruptive conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, picketing, or demonstrating in a Capitol building, on June 6, 2023, following a bench trial before Chief Judge Boasberg.

            According to evidence presented during the trial, Weyer traveled from Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, and was among the first rioters to enter the Capitol grounds by breaching police barricades on the East Front. During her time on the Capitol grounds, Weyer documented her activities in real-time via Facebook Live. In one video, Weyer encouraged others to “tear this s— down” in reference to the metal barricades set up by police. Weyer also stated that she “personally helped take down the barricades at the front of the Capitol” and that she was “laser-focused on breaking the barricades.”

            After breaching the East Front barricades, Weyer paraded across the East Plaza to the bottom of the Central East Steps. Weyer and other rioters then marched up the Capitol steps and forcibly pushed and shoved their way toward the Rotunda Door. Once outside the Rotunda Door, Weyer commanded her fellow rioters to “hold your ground,” “charge,” “don’t retreat,” and “break that door.” After the door was breached, Weyer forced her way into the Capitol building, pushing past United States Capitol Police (USCP) officers.

            Once inside the Capitol, Weyer went directly toward the Rotunda and declared, “This is awesome. We did it,” before making her way to the various hallways on the third floor near the House and Senate galleries. Weyer was in the Capitol building for approximately ten minutes. However, she remained on the Central East Steps for approximately an hour and fifteen minutes after exiting the building.

            While outside on the Central East Steps, Weyer continued to video herself bragging about her exploits. She also responded in real-time videos to her social media followers, encouraging them to undertake similar illegal conduct at their local state Capitols.                                 

            Weyer was arrested on June 28, 2021, in Mechanicsburg.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

            This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Office’s Capital Area Resident Agency and the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 396 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigations are ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.